Folding bed or couch.



E. GREGORY.

FOLDING BED 0R UUUCH.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 13, 1911.

trnyj Patented Dec.5, 1911.

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E. GREGORY.

l FOLDING BED 0R ooUcH. APPLIGATIONIILED APR. 13I 1911. v V 1,010,493, Patented Dec.5, 1911. K

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Wl T NESSES IN VEN T 0R w Atlorne COLUMB A PLANOGR ON D L UNITED STATESIATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE GREGORY, 0F MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

T0 NATIONAL FRESI-IAIR FURNITURE COMPANY, OF RENO, NEVADA, A CORPORA- TION OF NEVADA.

FOLDING BED 0R COUCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Application led April 13, 1911. Serial No. 620,903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE GREGORY, ofv

,folding beds or couches, and resides in the novel construction of the folding frame of the bed or couch.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a novel foldable frame for the couch or bed which can be folded into compact form, will vbe thoroughly braced when extended, will be very strong, yet may be made of wood or light material; and will be amply braced against all ordinary strains.

One of the most essential novel features of the invention is the peculiar manner in which the parts 0f the frame fold; the construction being such that the frame can fold upwardly at the center while the ends descend and move inward, whereby the frame can be folded very compactly, into about one-fourth the space it occupies when extended. This construction of frame enables my novel Spring bed bottom to be permanently attached thereto and folded therewith; and also enables the ordinary mattresses and bedding to be folded, with the frame, making beds of this construction exceedingly convenient to handle, and capable of being stored in very small space with little labor on the part of the house-wife; and also readily transported from one room or part of a building to another, the frame being of such construction that it can be readily mounted on rollers and moved thereon when folded.

I use a novel form of spring mattress-or bottom for the bed; which bottom is of such construction that it affords ample support for every portion of the bedding placed thereon and will yield so as to comfortably adjust itself to the body of the wearer, at the portions where the most weight is pressed thereon; and will maintain its shape and flexibility under very hard and long usage with scarcely any appreciable wear, and which moreover can be attached to the frame without being put under such extreme tension as ordinary woven spring mattresses require.

I will now explain the invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which show one practical form of folding bed or couch embodying the invention.

In said drawings-Figurel is a top plan view partly broken of the complete bed, the upholstered mattress being partly broken away. Fig.l 2 is a side elevaion lof Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the bed partly folded. Fig. 4L is a similar view showing the bed frame entirely folded. Fig.

5 is a transverse vertical section of the bed.

bars l, la, and an end bar lb which may be s connected to the outer ends of the side bars 'l l, la, by any suitable means, such as' bolts or screws, as indicated in the drawings. The end bar may be connected to the side bars at the outer corners of the section by means of brace-rods 1 secured thereto by boltsor screws, as indicated in the drawings. The adjacent inner ends of the bars l, la, of the opposite sections,-which meet at the center of the frame, when extended,-

are connected by hinges 2, the members of which are preferably secured to the under side of the bars l, la, by bolts or screws as shown, so that the top of the frame may be folded by raisingV the central portion or hinges 2 and allowing the end bars to drop or descend.

Each section of the frame is supported on four legs 3; as shown there are two pairs of such legs under each section. The

pairs of directly opposite legs 3 are pivoted at their upper ends to the side bars 1, la,

yof the frame by means of bolts or screws 3a;

stiff X-brace and tie between the opposite legs in each pair, but they also leave sufficient clearance under the center of the bed bottom attached to the frame, to enable the 5 latter to sag under the weight of a person lying thereupon without his body striking or contacting with the braces.

The adjacent legs 3, at each side of each section of the bed, are connected by means of links or rods 3d which are preferably pivotally connected to the legs by screws or bolts, as indicated in the drawings, so that such legs will swing together in the extension or folding of the frame, as indicated in the drawings.

The innermost pair of legs 3 attached to each section of the top frame are also connected by braces 3d to the top part of the inner section ;-as shown in the drawings each brace 3e may be of strap metal and pivoted at its lower end to the adjacent leg 3, and at its upper end to the side bar 1, or

1a, of the top section opposite that to which the leg is attached; consequently when the frame is extended, as in Fig. 2 the braces 3e intersect each other, as shown in the drawings, and form a practically rigid X-brace between the inner bar or legs 3 at each side of the bed. When the frame is fully extended, as shown in Fig. 2, the legs are stiffly braced laterally by the X-braces 3b,

and are braced longitudinally of the frame by the side rods 3d and braces 3e so that the frame when extended is practically rigidly braced in all directions.

The outermost legs 3 attached to each section may be provided with rollers 3t as indicated in the drawings, the inner legs might also be provided with rollers but I prefer to let them rest directly upon the floor when the frame is extended, as this will prevent the bed casually rolling or shifting.

The frame may be covered with a mattress support or bottom of any desired kind, but preferably the novel spring bottom which I especially designed for such bed, and which forms the subjectmatter of an application filed by me June 12, 1911, Serial No. 632,721. As shown in the drawings the body of this bottom is composed of rings 4 arranged in quincunx order; to every ring is connected four peculiar wire springs 5; each spring 5 is interposed between and connects two adjacent rings 4, except the outermost springs 55 5. Each spring 5 is preferably made of stiff steel wire which is approximately bent intermediate its ends into a figure 8 shape forming two flat loops 5a on opposite sides of the wire, while the two ends of the wire extend in opposite directions betweeny the loops as shown at 5b; and their extremities are hooked as at 5, to engage the rings. In such bottom practically every part of any superposed body, such as an upholstered 65 mattress, uwill be directly supported; because the flat loops of the spring members and the rings, or devices equivalent to the rings, are of such size and lie so close together that a silver dollar could hardly find space to drop face-wise through the bed bottom at any point.

The outermost spring members 5 at the sides and ends of the wire bottom are connected to the adjacent side bars 1, 1a and end bar 1b. As shown wire loops 6 are attached to the side bars 1, 1a, 1b; and the side spring-members 5 are directly engaged with these wire loops 6; while the end springmembers 5 may be connected to the end loops by means of wire links 6a, as I have found it is unnecessary in practice to extend the spring-bottom the entire length of the couch frame, it being sufficient if it extends under such portions of the mattress as will be subjected to the weight of the person lying thereupon.

In order to malre a close fold straight across the center of the spring-bottom when the frame is folded, I preferably substitute for the central transverse row of springmembers 5, helical springs 7, which extend across the mattress in line with the hinges 2. The outermost springs 7 are connected with plates 7 a attached to the inner ends of the bars 1, 1@L of the same section of the top frame; these plates 7a can be screwed or bolted to the said bars in any suitable manner. With this construction when the frame is extended the spring mattress lies flat and smooth and taut, Without any excessive contracting pressure upon the members of the frame, such as would tend to distort the latter or such as would be necessary in order to apply a woven wire mattress to a bed.

Vhen it is desired to fold the bed the operator lifts the central portion of the bed, which immediately breaks at the hinges 2, and the end bars 1b begin to drop-see Fig. 3-and the inner pairs of legs rise off the floor and begin to close toward each other, and at the same time all the legs begin to swing toward the bars 1, 1a, such folding movement of the legs being caused by the pivotally connected brace rods 3c, 3d. 'Ihe entire frame, with the mattress folds in half and into very compact space as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. If desired the upholstered mattress and bed clothing can also be folded with and over the frame which will support the same as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. When thus folded the bed is supported upon the outermost legs 3 and can be readily moved on the rollers on said legs to` any desired position.

It will be seen that the bed or couch is very strongly braced when extended; that it can be folded in a convenient manner into small space; and can be very readily transported. When folded it forms a convenient means of support for the mattress and bed clothing; and when folded the whole can be covered by a small cloth, or easily moved into a closet, or behind some larger object in the room.

What I claim is:

1. In a folding bed or couch, the combination of adjacent sections adapted to fold by lifting the inner ends thereby allowing their outer ends to drop and close toward each other; with two sets of legs pivoted to each section and' adapted to fold thereagainst when the frame is folded; and braces pivotally connecting the innermost legs on one section to the adjacent end of the opposite section.

2. In a folding bed or couch, a top frame divided transversely into two sections hinged at their inner ends, and adapted to fold by lifting their inner ends and allowing their outer ends to drop and move toward each other; with two sets of legs pivoted to each section and adapted to fold thereagainst when the frame is folded; braces pivotally connecting the innermost legs on one section to the adjacent end of the opposite section, and ties pivotally connecting the adjacent legs of the same section.

3. In a folding bed or couch, the combination of adjacent sections adapted to fold by lifting the inner ends thereby allowing their outer ends to drop and close toward each other; pairs of legs pivoted to the respective sections and adapted to fold thereagainst when the frame is folded; braces pivotally connecting the innermost legs on one section to the adjacent end of the opposite section, and ties pivotally connecting the adjacent legs of the saine section; with a spring bottom connected to said frame and foldable therewith along its transverse medial line, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aiiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EUGENE GREGORY.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. DownLL, JAMES R. MANSFIELD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

